


in another life

by kaminoh (talksmaths)



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Oblivious Luke, Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-27
Updated: 2020-01-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 06:14:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22427539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/talksmaths/pseuds/kaminoh
Summary: When Han and Luke accept awards from a people they know nothing about, they don’t realize at first that everyone thinks they’re married. They're not really in the position to correct themselves, though.
Relationships: Luke Skywalker/Han Solo
Comments: 4
Kudos: 85





	in another life

Luke doesn’t think anything about what the leader is saying--at least, he doesn’t think anything seems odd. Chewie’s method of translation was bit by bit. He’d growl something to Han, Han would collect the translated pieces, and then he’d deliver it in Basic to Luke and Leia. So when Chewie lets the leader speak uninterrupted and un-translated for several minutes, it strikes Luke as odd. Luke isn’t concerned with the leader’s message, though, until Chewie waits until the leader is far away to give a half-muttered translation to Han.

Luke’s confused when Han’s expression goes from angry to mildly annoyed to bursting out in laughter.

“What?” Luke asks, looking between Han and Chewbacca.

Han walks over to Luke and slings his arm around Luke’s shoulder. “You ever act before, kid?”

Luke shakes his head, not sure where to let his eyes fall when Han’s face was so close to his. He felt like his feet were rooted miles beneath them when Han looked into his eyes, so he broke it and looked ahead at Chewbacca and Leia for clarity, of which they had none to offer. 

“Oh, boy,” Han grumbled under his breath. “Well, if we don’t want to get eaten, you and me gotta act like we’re married.”

Luke pulled away from under Han’s arm. “What?!”

Luke looks over to Leia, but she’s trying to smother a laugh by pressing her lips together. It doesn’t make Luke understand any better.

“Chewie says--and by the Force, if he’s lying, I’ll  _ wear  _ him tomorrow--that the leader--” Han looks over to Chewie briefly-- “what is it, Brolmar?--said that he wants to celebrate us all for saving his people. He said they don’t trust humans, and that if Chewie wasn’t with us, they probably would’ve slaughtered us on sight.”

“Oh,” Luke says softly. “Great.”

“Yeah,” Han says, taking to leaning against the hut behind him, hands in his pockets. “So when Brolmar said he wants to throw a celebration for us, Chewie couldn’t say no without risking our lives.”

Luke catches Leia nodding and looks at her.

“Chewie’s right,” Leia says. “We saw it--they’re a violent, quick-to-anger people. Any small ingratitude or instance of us not loving everything they do could end in us becoming their dinner. Except for Chewie.”

Chewie roars in agreement.

“Okay,” Luke says, “but what does this have to do with us--?”

“I’m gettin’ there,” Han says. “Brolmar thinks we’re already married, so at the end of the celebration, they’re hosting their own wedding ritual for us. Because,  _ apparently _ , it’s better than a human wedding.”

“So we just have to go with it?” Luke asks.

“What part of ‘quick-to-anger’ are you not gettin’?” Han laughs.

Luke frowns. “Can’t we just tell them humans don’t touch or--or anything and just go on our merry way?”

Leia shakes her head. “The Alonags have studied humans for centuries. They know what courtship and marriage look like. We can’t fool them.”

“How do  _ you  _ know?” Han says.

“Did you forget I grew up in royalty?” she says. “I had to learn a lot of languages and cultures. I’m rusty in Alonag stuff, but I know the basics. As in, ‘always a huge threat.’” Leia gets a look in her eye, a flash of light. “This--just being here  _ alive _ \--is unprecedented. We could learn a lot about them in the next five days.”

“ _ Five days?! _ ”

They all now turn to look at Han in surprise.

Han clears his throat. “I didn’t know we’d be here a blasted week,” he explains.

“What does it matter?” Leia says. “It’s not forever. You two just have to play the part to keep them happy and us un-killed.”

Han and Luke share a look, and Luke sighs, determined.

“Alright,” Luke says.

“Remember,” Leia says, “the Alonags are excellent spies. Meaning, we’ll be watched constantly until we leave. Meaning, there’s no real privacy here.”

“Super!” Han says bitterly, kicking his heel into the hut. After a moment, he gets to his feet again, walking over to Luke. Leia makes a motion that Luke doesn’t understand until Han gets closer, their shoulders now touching.

“You can’t give it up, even for a moment,” Leia says. “They won’t give warnings. We won’t know if they feel they’re being lied to until it’s too late.”

Luke feels fear begin to creep up the back of his neck.

“The celebration starts tomorrow,” Han explains. “We can...start then.”

Leia looks disapproving. Chewie looks happy he’s absolved from the drama.

“Oh, hell,” Han says. “Let’s get this over with.”

Luke looks up at Han. He knows exactly what to anticipate. Luke feels nervousness knot in his lower stomach, but he knows Han’s right. They have to get the worst of it over soon to make the rest of it easier. They’ve still got five days.

Luke stands up on his toes and kisses Han briefly, nothing more than a quick peck. When he settles back to standing on flat feet, Han’s face is growing pink.

Leia barks out a laugh, quickly covering her mouth after. 

“Kid,” Han laughs, “I was gonna hold your hand.”

Luke feels a wave of heat overwhelm his skin, and he looks away from Han, taking a step back.

“Well, lovebirds,” Leia says, unable to totally suppress her laugh, “your hut is at the end of the row, and me and Chewie’s is back here.” She throws her head over her shoulder. She and Chewie begin to slowly, awkwardly leave Han and Luke alone.

Luke’s eyes catch an Alonag walking between the huts, watching him and Han. Its eyes are black and bottomless. It’s not even as tall as the leader, but it’s still a head taller than Chewie. It watches them motionlessly for several moments before moving away so quickly Luke almost thought it vanished.

Fear turns his bones rubbery, instantly and crushingly. He steps closer to Han, nearly leaning into him.

“Why do they think we’re already married?” Luke whispers.

“I dunno,” Han says. “Guess they’re not as good at understanding humans as they think.” 

Luke jumps at the sound of a twig snapping nearby and backs further into Han. He’s taken aback by the way Han rests his hand on Luke’s arm in a protective half-hug. They stand there for a few moments waiting for any other clear sign of being watched before retreating to their hut with long, quick strides.


End file.
